From Jim McGuiggan... Tyranny is Suicide

Tyranny is Suicide

"He is a braggart, restless, rapacious as the grave, like Death he would sweep all the nations in, he would rake in every race. Shall not your victims suddenly arise, and men awake to make you shake? Then you shall be their prey." (Habakkuk 2:5,7, Moffatt)
That's how God describes the unrighteous, swollen tyrant of 2:4. God insists that the tyrant and bully is really digging his own grave. Tyranny is the (often) slow, even if pleasant and scenic road to oblivion. The man or nation that insists on "having it all and having it now" no matter who it belongs to, is borrowing from every quarter a huge debt he will have to repay (see 2:6)
It's true that many tyrants lived to old age and died with a smile on their face but the whole story hasn't been told for, as Paul would put it, some men's sins go before them unto judgement and some follow after. But history has enough illustrations of tyranny over-reaching itself and the people finally rose up and brought the tyrant down.
Whether the tyranny is in a home or a school or a factory or office; whether it shows itself in one nation over another, one class over another or one race over another the word of judgement is sure. The "puffed up" one whose "desires are not upright" is drugged by his own greed and blinded by his own success and his day is coming!
We hear many horror stories about this kind of thing in churches. In churches where leaders are control freaks and who suffocate the people they're supposed to shepherd. Tyrants they are rather than leaders, bullies they are rather than guides. They rig fences around minds and forbid people to think in this way or that. They say "speak your mind" and when people do they are punished and threatened. They define the faith in ways that suit them and by this they not only stifle other constructions, they slam the door on any possibility of their ever learning better. "This is how the faith will be expressed around here!" and disagreement is driven underground, out of sight but not out of mind. Tyrants are those who stupidly strap ticking bombs to every foundation stone and wonder why the building one day collapses on their heads. "They sat there for years in the pew and we thought they agreed with everything that was being said. What hypocrisy," such leaders say when people, having heard enough, depart for other locations. But they have no answer when they're asked, "Are these the people who expressed their views some years ago and you punished them with threats and suspicion?" Tyranny, as George Adam Smith has said, is suicide.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.